Perfect partner for CHASP: LBJ Students Create Organization to Focus on Health, Social and Economic Policy
April 2008 marks the first anniversary of the formation of Social, Health and Economic Policymakers, or SHEP, at the LBJ School. The fledging organization provides a portal for information of interest to students in social policy. "I had a growing interest in health and social policy," says Julie Montgomery, SHEP Steering Committee Chair, "I started talking with others who shared my interests and we thought, 'why not an organization?'" A few meetings later, SHEP was born.
Other members of the steering committee are Kelly Stewart Nichols, Katie Arnold, Kip Brown and Avery Woods. Amy Hyman, Shar Habibi, and Christine Gendron are also founding members.
An ideal student counterpart organization to the school's Center for Health and Social Policy (CHASP), SHEP has co-hosted events and activities with CHASP. Dr. Cynthia Osborne, who is the faculty advisor for SHEP and on the CHASP executive committee, believes that such collaboration benefits both organizations. "This is a win-win situation. CHASP was looking for opportunities to connect more with students." Students will benefit from the connections CHASP maintains with LBJ alumni in health and social policy fields.
Though the group's activities for now are limited to maintaining a listserv to share information, SHEP leaders hope to reach out to students in education, health and economic policy to promote understanding of how social issues are inter-related. "Students who choose to specialize in social, education or economic policy are a natural match for SHEP and CHASP," notes Osborne.
Now comprised of more than 80 students and growing, SHEP has already teamed up with CHASP to host a several networking opportunities for students, bringing students and alumni together. In the future, SHEP and CHASP will collaborate to host colloquia and other events. For additional information, contact Robin Pearson.
For additional information about Social, Health and Economic Policymakers, and upcoming SHEP events, contact Julie Montgomery.
